


Kissing bottles with the devil til' the sunrise.

by DiveIn_HeadFirst_CantLose



Category: All Elite Wrestling
Genre: AU, Adam is pretty sure Kenny is actually an angel, Angst, Fix-It of Sorts, Hurt/Comfort, Kenny saves Adam from himself, M/M, Post Full Gear, So much angst, The Cleaner is a Split Personality, but it was Kenny all along, canon divergent after Full Gear, embraces in the rain, how in the flying fuck do I tag?, inspired by a few songs, inspired by me missing the One-Winged Cowboys, the boys love each other, title is from Whiskey in Hell by Anarbor, you Fool! You thought Adam needed comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:01:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28008108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiveIn_HeadFirst_CantLose/pseuds/DiveIn_HeadFirst_CantLose
Summary: Adam has lost the biggest match of his career to a man that he thought loved him. So when the downward spiral seems never-ending, who is going to save him from himself.
Relationships: Kenny Omega/Adam Page
Comments: 9
Kudos: 12





	Kissing bottles with the devil til' the sunrise.

**Author's Note:**

> My god I worked far too hard on this. 
> 
> AU where the reason for Kenny’s slow-burn heel turn is he keeps shifting between himself and the Cleaner and finally breaks free after Full Gear.
> 
> Probably very OOC but my heart absolutely needed some good angst to keep me in check, so here you go! Also, there isn’t many new One-Winged Cowboy fics coming out lately
> 
> Inspired by 
> 
> Whiskey in Hell by Anarbor  
> Jet Pack Blues by Fall Out Boy  
> Just One Yesterday by Fall Out boy  
> Twin Skeletons by Fall Out Boy

Hangman Adam Page has made many mistakes in his life. But he knew for a fact that Kenny Omega was not one of them.

Even though they had parted, and not on the best of terms, he didn't regret a moment of the love they had shared.

Now, all he had was the memories. 

He just wished Kenny had stayed for a little longer. He wished that he had been a little more sober so he could recall more than fleeting words and fractured moments. He barely knew what memories were real or fabricated. 

If he could... he would trade all his tomorrows for just one yesterday. 

Just one more night in Kenny's arms. Just one more chance to see his love smile. He could feel tears falling as he recalled one of his favourite nights of his life. One of the only nights where he had coherent memories that didn't flicker like a candle in the wind. He doubted he would ever forget it. He could replay that night again in his mind, like a song that he'd heard so many times that he just had to think of it to hear it again.

Kenny had been sipping on some chocolate milk, and Adam was drinking some whiskey. All of a sudden the man beside him, the man he revered as some kind of angel, raised his glass. They'd been sat on the couch, playing games against each other or trading idle thoughts. They were leant against each other, the way their arms occasionally brushed reminding them both that they were not alone. 

"Here's to us." Kenny had smiled over at him with a twinkle in his eyes as his glass was raised and Adam felt his heart melt. Adam followed, mimicking the motion, feeling his heart swell a little as he heard the clink of his glass against Kenny's, enjoying that spark in the eyes of the man he was so hopelessly in love with.

"To us." He grinned, before downing his shot, grabbing Kenny by the collar and pulling him into a tongue-tangling kiss. Kenny despised alcohol, everything about it just put him off. The addictive component, the feeling of not being in control of your actions, the taste.

Oddly enough, he found that he didn't mind that taste all too much when it was on Adam's tongue. 

They had spent the evening cuddling and holding each other, trading kisses and soft words, and playful jokes. It was a beautiful moment. A safe little world where all that mattered was the feeling of each other's warmth and the softness of each other's lips and the words that left them.

That was the night before he cost Matt and Nick the opportunity at the tag team titles. He hadn't meant any harm, it was just... last time they faced Matt and Nick, they nearly lost everything. 

He wanted to protect the Elite. He just wanted to protect what he and Kenny had. He didn't want it to end. And his lack of trust in the longevity of this relationship is what doomed it, at least in his eyes. Or maybe it was that he was so easy to manipulate into a reckless action. There was no way of knowing, not now.

Every night after that had been spent back to back, in eerie silence. Nothing had felt right.

He knew they were going to part ways soon after, but he didn't expect it to be at All Out. He didn't expect that Kenny would be so eager to cast him aside. He didn't expect the feelings to drown him. He didn't expect to feel so lost.

Adam hadn't understood the waves a single step could create until that moment. He felt the loss and betrayal crash over him as he fell to the canvas. He could feel everything he had fought to keep crumbling. He was overwhelmed.

Just like that, Kenny had stepped away and let him fall. Not just physically, either. Kenny had let him spiral into an abyss of fear and alcoholism. He understood why he had done it. 

And then just weeks later, at Full Gear, he had been willing to face Adam in the ring. Had been eager to beat him, to keep ascending the ranks. He'd never forget the way he had limped to the back, and the look of almost disgust Kenny had given him when he stumbled by.

He knew that this new side of Kenny was his fault. That the pressure he had put on him to be there for him had finally cracked him, and now he was unraveling at the seams, falling to pieces, tearing himself into bloody shreds. The guilt is so powerful it feels like all the air had been squeezed from his lungs, and he ruthlessly choked back a sob as his thoughts kept spiralling.

He knew that being forced to choose between a lover and friends he cherished to the point of being family all over again had been the thing to break him. He knows it's his fault. The drinking did this, and yet he just can't seem to stop. No matter what he'd tried.

It was foolish at this point, to think he would find the validation he so desperately needed at the bottom of a whiskey bottle.He knew that, but it was the only thing that brought him any comfort. He sought solace in the drink that was surely killing him from the inside out. He had abandoned the glass all together at this point. It was an unnecessary step with the amount of alcohol that he intended to consume.

Time passed him by, these days. It wasn't something he consciously thought about. 

The weeks between All Out and Full Gear blurred. It was like time was moving without him, leaving him behind. He ran, desperate to keep up. Trying in vain to surpass the expectations of everyone around him. He bested both of his opponents, using all the fight he had left to stay afloat, to win this tournament. To show everyone, to show Kenny, that he was more than just a drunk.

He sighed. When it had really mattered, when he was stood across the ring from the man widely regarded to be the best in the world, he had failed. When he had faced the man who, in his eyes, was an angel, he had stumbled, and fallen. Always second best. Close, but no cigar. He was the 'other' again. The other tag team partner, the other contender, the other member of the Elite.

He wished that he had learned to accept this fate sooner. Then maybe he would have been able to keep what he had. 

It was now 2 in the morning, and he was exhausted. After the loss, the hopelessness he always felt at a time like this began to sink in. And so, like he always did, he began to drink. Relishing in the feeling of the whiskey scorching his throat. He hopes they serve whiskey in hell. Well, whatever hell he ends up in.

He just wanted to be unconscious already. He wanted to feel that void, he wanted to escape. He wanted to run from everything, every thought that kept him awake at night. He wanted to ride off into the sunset, disappear over the horizon, never to be seen again. He wanted his fire to burn out, but alcohol doesn't extinguish flame.

He missed them. 

He misses Kenny most of all, though.

He misses the way his eyes crinkled a little at the corners when he smiled at Adam. The way he moved like he weighed nothing, the way he leapt like he could fly, like he was an angel.

A one winged angel. 

Adam had always viewed Kenny as someone who was above him. Something he didn't deserve. This belief had gotten to the point that he began to believe Kenny was truly some kind of angel. 

All of these little things stung like lemon juice in a paper cut, once picturesque memories now tinged bittersweet by the cruelty of time, now painful to even recall.

If Kenny really was a one-winged angel like Adam believed him to be, he would say that wing was very much broken, now.

No! This was supposed to be a release, an escape, not the shovel that dug him into a deeper and deeper hole. He wipes wet tears from his eyes with a shirtsleeve. The motion is clumsy and haphazard, and he nearly punches himself in the face in the process. Great, his body had ceased to do what he told it, but his mind was still functioning. The exact opposite of what he wanted. 

He should have learned by now that this method of catharsis was more than uhealthy and impractical; it didnt even do the job he hoped it did. Those emotions still continued to swirl and condense in his mind, reducing into a syrup of pure despair.

Adam is absolutely wasted by this point, and he knows it. Kenny's image won't leave his mind, and his vision is so blurry he could have sworn he was right there in front of him.

His vision seems to clear for a moment. 

It's Kenny. 

It had been mere hours since Kenny had stood right across from him in the ring. It had been mere hours since Kenny had left him laying there, feeling lost and broken and confused and afraid. Yet, despite all that, here he was.

To anyone more aware of their surroundings than Adam, it would be obvious that this was the Cleaner. The sunglasses alone are proof of that, let alone the confidence he was carrying himself with. But all Adam saw was those angelic curls, and a smile. 

The smile was cruel, filled with nothing but negative intent, but Adam was far drunk to see this, especially when his heart was glowing with joy at just the sight of Kenny.

The Cleaner was about to speak, when Kenny shone through, knocking the whiskey bottle out of Adam's hand. He was battling the Cleaner for control, trying to reclaim what had been taken from him.

Adam hears a crash, like smashing glass. Then a stinging sensation registers in the back of his empty hand. Wait... empty? His hand wasn't empty before. He looked down at his hand, then at the floor, then up at them.

His angel, saving him from himself yet again.

"K-Kenny?" he slurred, looking up at him. He was feeling many things. Joy, confusion, more than a little hurt. Before he could even find the words, The Cleaner cut him off.

"Get up." He said harshly. To Adam, the tone was unfamiliar, like a distant memory. 

Adam's body moved without consulting his brain as he tried to stand. He was about to fall, toppling from his feet. Images of All Out flashed through his mind as he fell in slow motion.

The Cleaner takes off his sunglasses, placing them on the counter of the bar, and the ocean blue eyes seemed to change from glazed over and devoid of compassion to concerned yet conflicted. Swirling with a chaotic mess of emotions Adam can barely begin to discern.

Finally, Kenny was himself again. 

Adam didn't hit the floor of the hotel bar. He didn't land in the spilled whiskey and shattered glass. 

He was caught in a pair of warm, strong arms that held him close, cradling him, trying to get him back on his feet, and somewhat stable.

"Hey, hey, don't cry." Kenny whispered, all harshness leaving his tone like a switch had been flipped. Adam hadn't even noticed he was crying until he pointed it out. His head felt fuzzy, and he just clung to the man who had caught him.

Kenny's hand found his hair, running his fingers through, in an attempt to soothe the man he was holding.

"I'm here, cowboy." Kenny whispered. "God, what has he done to you?" He muttered, taking a shaky breath. 

It was heartbreaking for Kenny to see how far Adam had truly fallen when the Cleaner had robbed him of control. He had tried to watch from the inside, he had tried to monitor the situation so he would know what to expect when he got back, but what he saw was just too overwhelming.

Watching the Cleaner scheme and plot to tear apart the group he cherished more than anything else, while belittling Adam in a way the Cowboy thought that he deserved had quickly become too painful for him to bear, and he had turned away.

All that mattered right now, was making sure Adam was alright, and the first step was making sure he was sober, or at least close enough to sober to start making sense again.

"Adam? Where's your room?" 

"Can't remember..." he mumbled, nuzzling up to him.

"Alright-"

He checked his wallet, and found a room keycard. He helped Adam walk there, taking the elevator for safety.

He opened the door to the room, and spotted his luggage in the corner. Adam wrapped his other arm around Kenny, leaning against him.

Kenny smiled, but froze when he saw a pair of black leather gloves on the bedside table with a pair of aviators placed on top. He brushed them away in a flare of anger, ignoring the clattering sound that it made as the glasses hit the wall. Adam flinched slightly and Kenny immediately pulled him close, hushing him.

He sat on the bed with Adam, who laid beside him. He pulled the other man close, letting Adam relax in his arms.

"You came back for me..." Adam gave a woozy smile, tilting his head back to look up at Kenny, voice slurred and dazed. "'Cause you looooove me."

"That's right, I love you. More than anything else in this world." Kenny chuckled softly at the way his eyes lit up.

"I love you too, Kenny." Adam's ring-calloused fingers brushed against Kenny's cheek as he ever so gently tucked a stray curl behind his ear.

Kenny felt himself blush. The motion was so gentle and tender, even though Kenny didnt feel as if he deserved much love from Adam right now. If only he had warned Adam of what he knew was coming. His own reluctance to face the truth had gotten the man he loved seriously hurt.

And where had Matt and Nick been through all of this? Why hadn't they taken care of Adam? Why had they left him to wallow in his misery?

He carded his fingers through those beautiful golden curls that he adored so much, just savouring this moment, wanting it to last forever.

"I love you. I love you so much. I never meant anything I said." 

"The things you said were true, though. You needn't worry about that. You shouldn’t apologise just to make me feel better." 

Suddenly there was fire in Kenny's stomach. What had that bastard he was cursed to share a body with said to Adam that had hurt him so badly that he believed it true?

"Thank you for coming back."

The gentle words eased him back to Earth, and he reminded himself that an outburst was what  
The Cleaner wanted. A perfect opportunity for takeover. He smiled at the sweet words from his lover.

"I never should have left."

Kenny watched over Adam as he fluttered his eyes shut, trying to sleep. He gradually combed his fingers through the other man's hair, unable to suppress a smile. It was a nice respite from his inner turmoil.

He kept Adam close, wrapping his arms around him a little tighter than before.

Kenny laid there with him for well over an hour, no sounds other than their slow and rhythmic breathing. Kenny presses a kiss to the top of Adam's head. He looked so vulnerable, so unlike himself that it was almost physically painful to see.

He could feel his own eyes growing tired and heavy, and he allowed himself to drift off into the sweet abyss of sleep.

When Kenny woke the next morning, Adam was tucked into his chest as close as he could be. It put a small smile on his face. Kenny could hear their synchronised heartbeats.

He had missed this. He'd missed everything that came with being in control, sight, sound, warmth, touch and smell. But the thing he had missed more than anything was Adam. 

He had been totally cut off since the end of a match on dynamite. Left floating inside his own head, nothing but a concept. He had watched himself relentlessly hit Marko, someone he respected. The smaller man had been defenceless to the steady, uninterrupted blows.

He had felt sick without a stomach.

It had been months. Trapped inside his own mind, unsure if he would ever escape. He only remembered snippets. fleeting days that never lasted long. But every time, the Cleaner had reclaimed control, leaving him as a concept once more.

Unknowingly, he had contributed to the Cleaner's ruse, blending in and gradually breaking the only alliance that could bring Kenny back from the inside.

Adam woke, clutching his head. The headache from the hangover rang through his head, and he felt nauseous. Kenny hushed him, and Adam flinched. Slowly, slowly turning his head to look at him.

"Kenny?" He asked, quizzically. His voice was soft and meek as he stole a second glance. "Kenny- Wh-"

"I'm here. I love you." 

Adam went to wrap his arms around him, then stopped. "N-no. No you don't." 

"Adam- I-"

"Stop. Just stop, Kenny." He laughed sadly. "You made your choice. You abandoned me after we lost the tag titles. I was hurt, and you let me fall, and you left me laying ther-"

"Hangman-" He interrupted, wanting to explain what had happened, but Adam spoke over him, sobbing now.

"You didn't speak to me for weeks. You insulted me in promos. Then you beat me in the middle of the ring and laughed your way to the back. I was another stepping stone to you. Just like Kota-" He shouted, voice continuing to raise, the betrayal he felt evident in every word.

Kenny let out a gasp, flinching like he had been burned. Those last three words made him feel like he had been stabbed. He felt his eyes filling with tears. Kota had meant the world to him, and that stung.

"And you think... just because you got yourself back in my bed, I'll forgive you? I don't even remember last night, that's how drunk I was! I was lonely, it wouldn't have been hard." He said, his tone accusatory. Kenny stares at him, aghast. 

"Adam! I wouldn't take advantage of you being drunk! How could you even suggest-" he started, wondering just what the Cleaner had done to make him so scared of him.

"Look at everything you have done over the past few months!"

"I don't remember anything!" He yelled, unable to take this anymore. Suddenly it was quiet. 

The only sound was the pouring of the rain outside as Kenny looked away, mumbling.

"That was the Cleaner."

The world seemed to stop for them both. Kenny got up to leave, and Adam reached out, feeling tears still falling.

Kenny ran out of the room, barely thinking anymore. They had slept in their clothes. Adam followed him, all the way to the hotel parking lot. His ears were ringing violently, to the point where he could barely hear himself cry out to be heard over the downpour outside. 

"Don't leave me again!" He called out to him in a melody of tears, while the rhythm of the rain keeps time. As his desperation grew, he grabbed onto Kenny's wrist.

"I don't want you to go through this again! I hurt you, and I don't even remember it! I wanted to protect you..."

"You should have told me.." 

"I didn't want to worry you..." he avoided eye contact, looking down at the floor.

"Angel..." he sighed softly, taking both of his hands. He couldn't distinguish between the tears and rain anymore. "I need you to tell me these things. Even if they will worry me. I love you, and I want to be able to take care of you. Sometimes you're the one who needs protecting."

Kenny practically threw himself into Adam's arms, and Adam held him in the pouring rain. It was 6 am, and still dark and cold. Adam didn't care as long as he had Kenny. Their hair and clothes were soaked through.

"You'd been strong for so long, Kenny. Trying to keep us all together and stop the fighting... trying to help me get better... you needed time for yourself and we were too blind to see that. It was only a matter of time. This isn't your fault. I was a bad friend and a worse boyfriend. I hope you can forgive me." 

Kenny just held him as tightly as he could. He hated crying. It made him feel weak and small.

"I-I'm Sorry. For everything."

"Shh, you've little to be sorry for. Let's get inside."

And as the sun rose behind them, the two lovers walked inside, hand in hand.

"Make me a promise." Kenny whispered meekly.

"Anything, Angel."

"No matter what... we tell each other everything. No more secrets."

"No more secrets." Adam smiled, pulling him into the softest kiss.


End file.
